


tenebra

by emofrnkie



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: 1600, Angst, Lawyer!kihyun, M/M, Sad, Witch Trials, artist!hoseok, artist!minhyuk, master!shownu, sculptor!jooheon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-07 00:27:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14068926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emofrnkie/pseuds/emofrnkie
Summary: There's always a story behind a work of art. Sometimes it's so dark people want to forget about it.





	1. beginning

**Author's Note:**

> i've been working on this for months before finally deciding to post it :)
> 
> I got this idea after reading The Chimera.
> 
> Enjoy this, I really worked hard on every detail

January 15th 1588  
The night was darker than usual,not only because of the moon hidden behind thick clouds but also for the fearful laments that filled the empty spaces between the tall threes.  
It was like a red wire was flowing between the woods while marking them forever.  
There was just a small village between those gigant threes,almost like it was forgotten by the rest of the world.  
If only the young woman who was giving birth to her child would have known of the curse he was bringing with him.  
The cry of a baby filled the air and it felt like the accursed wire disappeared,leaving only scratches and marks on everything that it touched.  
For Hyungwon, that was the beggining of a curse, the one that we call life.

October 1606  
Hyungwon was only eighteen but had the eyes of someone who's seen too much during his short life. His mother was burned at the stake when he was only fifteen. The vivid memory of fire still burned in his pupils like it was still happening in front of him.  
The last 'I love you' she said to him a second before being dragged to the improvised straw pile that was meant to burn in a matter of minutes still echoed in his mind.  
When she looked at her son for the last time she was standing still on the pile.  
To Hyungwon, she didn't look like someone who has lost the fight against the Tribunal of the Inquiery but more like a queen who stood above others,so powerful.  
''Goodbye my queen'' little Hyungwon whispered while she started disappearing behind red waves.

He didn't realize there was someone who wasn't attracted by the fire,like all the other people that were collected in front of the cruel scene. While Hyungwon's cold eyes were fixed on what was left of the only person he ever loved,someone paid attention only to him.  
And like when you stare at a work of art and you're amazed by its beauty,the stranger's gaze analyzed every part of what he considered a masterpiece. 

Hyungwon spent the following three years living day by day like he was forced to.  
Never,not even for a single moment,he thought about life like something beautiful.  
It was just a concatenate series of events that everyone had to survive to. Hyungwon didn't have anything that kept him chained to that place,that forced him to live but the fear that actual hell could be worse than the one he was living in.

As time was passing by, Hyungwon was getting more and more beautiful but no one paid attention to him. That poor boy didn't deserve their concern or any kind of attention that could be adressed to anyone that needed help.  
Hyungwon was okay with that. He didn't want anyone's loving words nor any fake caring act. But in the world he was living in, no one was willing to care for him,a son of a witch,the same witch that brought famine and drought, diseases and death. For them he was only the product of a hideous affair between his mother and the Devil himself.

Winter was approaching and the entire village,like every year, started getting ready for the cold season but this time there was an unusual agitation among the peasants.  
The elders, knowing how to recognize the signs of a harsh winter even before it started, warned the kids that gathered everyday in front of the village church to play but they always ignored them, laughing and continuing playing. After all,they're just kids,what can they understand?  
There was someone who watched them from far away,hidden in the woods, trying to keep himself warm. Maybe all Hyungwon wanted was to play with the kids but he knew everyone will run away as soon as he will approach them.  
Every night the boy got back home with some kind of regret in wanting to have a normal life. 

His house was exactly how his mother left it. He didn't dare to move anything. Everything was still a vivid memory of his mother and he didn't want to lose those last drops of his painful past.  
The fireplace remained cold for all those years,the windows closed,the chair under the table,the only thing that changed was the reflection on the mirror everytime Hyungwon passed in front of it.

Hyungwon managed to make a pair of gloves by wrapping a piece of cloth from his cloack on his hands,something unusual for peasants,so soon they started telling stories about how he was the successor of the Black Wizard, some even brought this theory so far that they started thinking that he was the son of the ancient sorcerer,that making him a pureblood wizard.  
All of this because of a pair of gloves.  
The boy just wanted to keep himself warm during cold days.  
Soon Hyungwon couldn't sleep because of the cold.Not that things went very different since nightmares were common for him. He dreamt about fire,cold fire that couldn't kill him but brought a lot of pain.Right then he was falling in an endless hole and soon he started seeing blood and pairs of eyes that looked at him.He heard laughter and cheers but saw nothing.  
When he woke up he cried himself to sleep. Sometimes it happened to dream about his mother. Those rare times he woke up feeling happy but that didn't last long. He missed her a lot.  
Everyday the boy fought against hunger and ignorant people. Some said he was lucky he was still alive since the Tribunal of Inquiry could have condemned him with his mother. Hyungwon thought about that a lot and dreamt about how beautiful would have been if that happened.  
Hyungwon,the little hopeless boy with black gloves and even darker chilling eyes, didn't know that everything was about to change,that the best was yet to come.


	2. the artists

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: emofrnkie

On the opposite shore of the river there was another small town. People were always happy and it was a very active village. There, in a small workshop, an apprendice spent days drawing and painting. The future artist's name was Hoseok but he went under the name of Wonho.  
The artist was only nineteen years old but knew a little too much. At least that's what his master Shownu said. Hoseok always liked to think that Shownu's words suggested his talent but his best friend Minhyuk always laughed at him.  
Of course Hoseok would always get his revenge by teasing him when the sculptor Minhyuk was attracted by was near.  
Sculptors were a category Hoseok never understood and really didn't tried to. Too eccentric for him but maybe that's what attracted Minhyuk so bad. In fact his friend was everything but an ordinary artist. He wasn't a figure painter like everyone at that time. Minhyuk was obsessed by details and that brought him to find the same face boring. He painted everything around him. His canvas portrayed every little detail. He was the kind of artist people hated but secretly loved his masterpieces.  
Getting back to Hoseok,the artist had a really weird passion for walks.  
When he got out,he would visit the near village just to see how things changed there. He liked to observe things,details,people,everything. Maybe that was a bit of Minhyuk's fault there but he got used to it.  
It would be a lie to say that that was the main purpose of his trips. Hoseok was looking for his muse, the one that took his breath away the first second he saw him. After years of looking for the same pair of dark eyes, Hoseok din't get tired, not even a bit. He was one of those people who didn't give up so easily. And he surely wasn't going to give up on something as beautiful as his muse.  
Since it started getting colder Hoseok's short trips became more frequent. He loved cold so much and he'd spend hours just sitting on the top of a hill breathing in fresh air. In fact, his notebook was full of the same landscape. Pages where he drew the same old big three on the top of the opposite mountain, the same houses, the same church in the middle of the village. For some inexperienced eye those drawings looked all the same but Hoseok could always find some different detail to add.

A day of October, Hoseok was tired of staying inside the small workshop so he decided to take his notebook and go for one of his beloved walks. As soon as he opened the little door, a wave of fresh air hit him and he smiled.

''Stop looking like you're in love'' 

said someone beside him,scaring the poor artist.

''Who told you I'm not really in love?'' 

Hoseok replied, looking at his friend Minhyuk.  
Two red stripeson his cheek were signaling the fact that Minhyuk was working on something but the white dust on his headpiece was saying the opposite.

''You're right,I'm not in love. Maybe not as much as you are''

''I don't know what you're talking about''

Hoseok smiled and placed the notebook in his bag.

''As if''

Minhyuk blushed slightly but Hoseok was too busy leaving the workshop.

''Ah,Minhyuk'' said Hoseok,looking back ''I didn't know you were into scuplting'' and pointed to his friend's headpiece.

Hoseok giggled and left a desperate Minhyuk alone.


	3. turn away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: emofrnkie

The weather was nice. By nice Hoseok meant windy and cloudy. His cloack kept his body warm enough but even if he was cold, he wouldn't complain. The narrow road that brought to the other village split into two directions. Hoseok always chose the one that brought him to his beloved hill and just then he would go to visit the village, but that day, like something told him to, he directed himself to the village. The tall threes always conforted him and emptied his mind from everything. The forest, that dangerous place where witches gathered to meet with the devil,from what people said, was one of the most calming places on earth for Hoseok.  
The smell of wet leaves didn't allarm him at all,he liked it indeed. A bit or rain was everything Hoseok needed.   
As he was directing to the village, he was pleased by the thunders he heard. Soon his cloak became wet from the small drops of water that fell from the leaves of the tall threes. Hoseok closed his eyes and breathed in. He imagines how beautiful would it be to paint there but of course he couldn't. At least not if he didn't want a wet messy canvas as result.

Soon the rain became uncontrollably loud and Hoseok was forced to run and find a shelter till the rain will stop.  
As he was running he saw a small house almost hidden by leaves and branches.  
It looked more like an abandoned house .  
The door opened so easily and Hoseok closed it behind him.  
He let out a loud sigh to see that it didn't look like an abandoned house. He was about to quit,not finding fair the fact that he had to get into someone's house,even if it was an emergency but a voice welcomed him as he got out of the little house.

"Have you finally decided to come and get me?"

Hoseok felt the wind and raindrops even colder on his skin. He didn't turn back but closed his eyes. He was scared.

"Did you invent some new torture engine that want to try and didn't find any available witch or what?"

Hoseok breathed quietly.

He didn't know what just happened.  
Witches? Torture engines? Who was that person?

"Are you scared of pureblood wizards now?"

 

Hoseok really wanted to run away but he froze,not knowing what to do.   
Should he run?  
His feet were stuck to the ground.  
He just kept his eyes closed.

"Take me,everything is like hell anyway" the mysterious boy let out a chuckle "or are you scared of a little boy?" 

He got close to Hoseok and whispered 

"be careful,I'm very powerful" 

Hoseok started shaking.

"at least that's what they say"

There was a moment of silence where Hoseok's thoughts went trough his head so fast. 

"Did the Tribunal send you?"

Hoseok opened his mouth but everything that came out was a chocked sigh.

Hyungwon cruelly laughed again. He pushed Hoseok out of the house, following him. Hyungwon kicked his back and Hoseok's arms gave up.  
The painter wanted to run. He thought about everything that he still had to do in his life. Was it over like that? He didn't even have the time to dream properly.

" P-please don't kill me"

He gathered the courage to speak but his eyes were still closed.   
Hyungwon laughed again but soon that turned into an angry scream. 

"I'm not like you and your pathetic friends. I don't kill people." 

Like him? Hoseok didn't kill anyone.

"Did the tribunal send you?" Hyungwon shout again. 

Silence. Hoseok didn't answer. He didn't understand anything.

"I asked you something"

The only answer Hyungwon got was the sound of the rain. He fell on his knees and gripped his head in his hands.

"Why is it taking you so long? Just get up and take me! Take me, kill me, why don't you do it? Do I have to wait any longer? " 

Hyungwon gripped Hoseok by the collar of his cloak and the boy finally opened his eyes.

Hoseok froze. The boy stared into his eyes and time stopped. All his fear was gone.

He was back to that place. His hand was shaking as he drew the beautiful features. Although the fire's warmth, Hoseok felt cold. Those icy eyes were staring into the fire. Hoseok was just sixteen at the time.   
He felt someone shaking his body.  
Hoseok was back to reality.

Hyungwon's heavy breath contrasted with the sound of the rain. His hands, clutched on Hoseok's cloak, were trembling.

" What do you want" Hyungwon's shaky voice didn't match his insensitive stare " what do you want, tell me!"

" I..."

Not a word left Hoseok's lips. If the boy would have hit him, it would have hurt less. His beauty was painful, not for himself but for who was looking at him. He was almost too beautiful to handle.

" I'm an artist, it was raining and i saw your house and..."

"should I believe you?" 

Hoseok tossed his notebook to Hyungwon.

He flipped the pages -"yes,sure"- and let the notebook fall from his hands.

Hoseok could finally breathe properly.

Hyungwon got up

"How bad" he said as he directed to the house.

Hoseok's notebook was buried under mud. He took it into his hands,trying to save it. 

"oh no no no no" 

Hyungwon had already disappear from his sight.  
All of his works were on those pages.  
Hoseok didn't want to get angry. He really didn't but he couldn't help it.  
He got up and ran towards the house.

"you! Look what y-"

Hoseok's words died in his mouth.  
The house seemed a lot colder than the first time Hoseok got in.  
Hyungwon was sitting in a corner, wiping off his tears.


	4. destruction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> twitter: emofrnkie

"Oh no no no no" 

Hyungwon had already disappear from his sight.  
All of his works were on those pages.  
Hoseok didn't want to get angry. He really didn't but he couldn't help it.  
He got up and ran towards the house.

"you! Look what y-"

Hoseok's words died in his mouth.  
The house seemed a lot colder than the first time Hoseok got in.  
Hyungwon was sitting in a corner, wiping off his tears.

Hyungwon looked up. He looked scared. No one ever got into his house but Hoseok did it twice. He got up and covered his face with his cloak.

Hoseok approached the boy carefully. "D-do you need help?"

Hyungwon didn't react, he didn't move. His blank expression was almost painful to look at. Hoseok was feeling again like roots were growing under his feet.  
God, if he could only do something. 

" Go. Go away. Never come back here, you're in danger. " But Hoseok's brain couldn't think of anything else but the boy in front of him, not at his words.  
He wasn't scared. That apathy in his eyes was almost calming. Calming and painful. That feeling was so new for Hoseok. He wasn't a masochist but he would spend his whole life looking at the boy. Never in his life has he seen a masterpiece more beautiful. Not even art could make him feel like that. Hyungwon cupped his was between his hands, like something was trying to get into his mind and under his skin, then he started crying. "Go away, go away, go away."

Hoseok felt like someone just ripped his heart out of his chest. "Are you cold?"   
Their eyes met again. What was that? What was Hoseok feeling?  
"It's so cold here" 

It was like Hyungwon's stare dried the roots that kept Hoseok steady. The floor was squeaking under his feet as he was making his way to the little fireplace. "Do you want me to light it?"   
It was more line a rhetoric question because Hoseok was already looking for a way to light a fire. He hissed in pain when something wet gripped on his wrist, almost crushing the bones under its hold.

"Don't you dare touching anything"   
Hoseok, who was on his knees, was trembling under Hyungwon's touch.   
It wasn't the tight grip, not the cold or fear. It was Hyungwon. 

Red liquid started dripping in thick drops on the floor and Hyungwon couldn't pretend he wasn't in pain anymore. He looked at his hands, still covered by the black fabric. The blood was still there. "Go away, go away, go away." This time Hyungwon wasn't talking to Hoseok. "Mom, I'm sorry."

Hoseok knew. He knew what was happening. He suddenly saw it in front of his eyes. The face of the witch. She was screaming but no one was willing to hear. The boy's icy eyes, the fire, the insensitive crowd, he saw himself drawing.

"I'm sorry mom, I'm sorry for still being alive." 

Hoseok took Hyungwon's hands in his own to keep him still " Don't say such things."  
Hyungwon was young, too young to think about death. He should be happy, enjoying life at its fullest but instead he was just waiting for his end to come in a cold wooden house, forgotten by everyone. 

"Don't say such things, please."   
The blood now on Hoseok's hands didn't stop him from wiping away the tears on Hyungwon's cheeks. "everyone deserve to get a taste of happiness at least once in life."

Hyungwon was paralyzed again. Not only the weird boy didn't leave when he told him too but he was also willing to help him by saying nonsense. He didn't know what was happening but he wanted it to be over soon. 

"would you like to come with me to my house? I'm an apprentice in a workshop but I'm willing to give y-"

"Go away, for god's sake!"  
But Hoseok didn't move. Hyungwon could have told him anything at that point, the boy seemed so willing to help him. But why? Hyungwon didn't feel like he deserved that. He wanted to be alone like he always has been for the last years. Or maybe he was so used to loneliness that everything seemed so weird for him, so weird it was wrong.   
He wanted to get back to his nightmare, he wanted to feel pain again, he didn't deserve kindness, he didn't need someone to save him when he was the author of his own destruction. That's why it felt wrong.  
But Hoseok didn't care in that moment. He didn't care if Hyungwon shouted at him, or if the blood of the boy's hands was dripping on his fingers too. He didn't care of all of that because he realized he found him after years. It was him who always occupied a place in his mind and he didn't want to let go on the most beautiful work of art he's ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know that this chapter leaves a lot of question marks but everything will be clear soon

**Author's Note:**

> twitter : emofrnkie


End file.
